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Friday, June 29, 2012

Milling rough lumber to the dimensions we want as scrollers requires expensive tools, time and effort. There is no doubt that it is cheaper to mill the lumber yourself if you have the tools. Many scrollers don't have these tools and really don't want to put the out expense not to mention the room required to house the tools. There are ways to buy scroll saw ready lumber. You just have to know where to look. Tonight I will talk about buying scroll saw ready lumber from ebay.

I know there are still a lot of you who don't like to purchase online. I understand that caution. The news has reports everyday about hacked credit card numbers and stolen passwords. If you are in that camp then you can stop reading here. I have personally used online stores for years so I have grown comfortable dealing online. I do use precautions when ordering online and I'll talk about some of them in this post.

Let's talk about what to look for when buying lumber on Ebay. In the picture below you will see the Seller Information section of an Ebay item. Petersonscustomlumber is the Ebay sellers name. This is the seller I just purchased lumber from that I will show later in the post.

To the right of the sellers name is the number of transaction that seller has had. The number include both sell and buy transactions. If you click that number it will load a page showing many of the sellers transactions and feedback from customers. To the right of the number you see the word "me". If you click that "me" it will take you to a page that shows whatever information the seller has listed about themselves or their business.

Below the seller name is the feedback score they have received from their customers. If a seller has a high feedback percentage and a large number of transactions you can generally expect to get good service form that seller. There are still other things to check before you buy or bid.

The picture below is a section of the page that show more information we need to look at. The top line shows the item condition. Below that is the time remianing that the product will be listed. The price is next. In this case the wood is a "buy it now". Ebay is an auction site where you can place bids on merchandise. The seller has the option to list a fixed price and first come first serve. I almost always just look for "but it now" items. I hate the hassle of bidding.

Shipping is a big thing to watch for on Ebay. Make sure you understand the shipping details before you buy/bid. Click the shipping details link and read the fine print. In this case the shipping is included in the price of the lumber.

Also look at the Payment method and return policy. When you see Paypal listed as a payment option that means you can pay with a credit card. You do not have to have a Paypal account to pay through Paypal. I'll be honest and tell you that there are lots of people that do not like paypal. I personally have used Paypal for years and find them a secure and reasonable service for online payment and collection. You will have to use your own judgement here.

Just a couple more words on ordering from Ebay then I'll move on to the purchase I made. Here are my rules. I don't make large purchases on ebay. I break this rule if I have ordered from the seller several times with good experiences. My limit on a first time buy is <$100. Between my ebay account and my daughters we have made probably 80 buys and never had a significant problem. My daughter had one inexpensive item that never arrived and I had one purchase that was shipped poorly and was slightly damaged. The rest have all been positive.

Now let's talk about the order I just received from petersonscustomlumber. The ebay listing below was for 20 pc 1/4" x 6" x 11" craft lumber. Milled, Kiln dried and finish sanded for $35 shipping included. This was my first order from this seller so I did my research of their feedback, number of listing, shipping and profile information. Everything passed my sniff test so I clicked the "Buy it Now" button.

The package was on my door step in less than a week. It cane in a flat rate box Priority mail. Sandy, the seller later told me they like to use these boxes to keep shipping low. For most scroll saw projects this sizing is fine.I open the box and the wood was neatly bundled inside the box.I sorted through the boards and was more than please with the quality. To my surprise there were 22 boards in the box instead of 20. It's always nice when a seller throws in something extra and it made me want to order from them again.In the picture above you can see one of the bundles fanned out. This is walnut and you can see there are no defects and next to no sap wood. I have had a hard time finding nice quality walnut for about a year so this was nice to see.These boards are ready to take to the saw. They are finish sanded with all mill marks removed. This is not that common but a nice touch.

After I received my order I emailed the seller asking about how often they list on ebay and any other information they would like to pass along to my readers. It was funny when Sandy replied that she had been to my blog several times. They currently don't have but one item listed but they are planning more and they have logs that will be ready to be milled this fall. Here is their ebay page. If you are interested just start an ebay account and add them as a favorite seller. I will certainly add them to my watch list and be ordering more in the future. I do have all the tools in my shop to dimension my own thin lumber but it's sure nice to let someone else do the work.

I hope this gives those of you who have not tried ebay a bit of confidence to take a look. You have to do your homework before you buy but their are good deals to be had.

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated.Make A Donation

This folding handle scroll saw basket is easy to make and always draws attention. This one is themed for the 4th of July holiday but I included more handles in the pattern also. The basket is 5.5 inches in diameter. I pre-drilled the handle and top ring for small .5 inch brass screws. I wanted the handle to fold down and the screws make a nice pivot. You can uses different thicknesses of wood for the weave to give it a different look. The top and bottom rings should not be thicker than the weave or the basket looks out of proportion. You can use 3/4 inch thick wood for the weave rings but 3/4 inch looks bad for the top and bottom rings.

This basket is a nice size to keep wrapped hard candy on your desk.

My wife and I are headed to Kentucky Speedway tomorrow. We will be attending the Nationwide race on Friday night and NASCAR Quaker State 400 on Saturday. We will be in Grandstand 3 or 4 right in front of the Bluegrass Club area. If any of you are going stop and say hi. boogity boogity boogity, let's go racing boys!

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated.Make A Donation

This is the end of the daily posts. Keep scrolling for lot's more scrolls saw fun!

Bear Woods has been around since 1987 serving our hobby. They offer a wide range of craft products including Pegas scroll saw blades, clock inserts, toy parts, workshop supplies and much more. In my ten years of writing the Scrollsaw Workshop blog I have never received a complaint about Bear Woods. I get thousands of email a month so that's saying something about their customer service and quality products. Please support the people who support our hobby. Click now and visit Bear Woods.

Heritage Wood Specialties. Scroll saw ready boards!

Heritage Wood Specialties is a nationally recognized supplier of superior quality hardwoods to fine woodworkers across the US and Canada. Novice hobbyists and experienced enthusiasts alike can enjoy the high quality woodworking materials and kits available from Heritage Wood Specialties.
Great source for scroll saw ready boards.

Seyco

Seyco began business in 1986 with the goal to supply the best customer support and quality products in the scroll saw industry. I have worked with Seyco on many occasions and I can tell you they are simply the best. Please do yourself a favor and click the image above. Steve Good

Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw Book $12 Each

Each digital book is available for download immediately after payment.

The books are $12 per edition and contains eight unique patterns each.
Watch the following video to see how easy these beautiful scroll saw vases
are to make.

Order the $3 pdf Catalog

This is a PDF of all the patterns in my free catalog. It is for Windows only and has a program to automatically download the pattern to your computer. Please watch the video below before you order.
Click the picture to order.

You do not need a PayPal account to order. At the bottom of the PayPal page is a button that will allow you to pay with a credit card. After successful payment click the Return to Merchant button for the download.

Stencil Printer 1.7

Stencil Printer Instruction Video.

The Scrollsaw Workshop Stencil Printer 1.7 is my latest software for creating patterns. It will create key chain fobs, desk name plates and more. Click the image above to download the latest version. It is free to use donationware. This software is for Windows PC only.

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1

Scroll Saw Keychain Pattern Maker

Use the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker to start a small keychain business. Build yourself a nice display and make up severl keychains with common names. Sell at craft shows, on Ebay or at work. Everyone needs a keychain. Take custom orders. Heck just make them and give them away as gifts. It's all made easy with the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker.
Watch the video demonstration then download the file below and get started with the fun.

The following link will start the download process. After the file download is complete just click the setup file and the program will be installed.

Download the Oval Keychain Pattern Maker.

Enjoy designing and printing these great personalized key chains. Give them as gifts, make them for fun or sell them at craft shows. It's easy, just watch the video demo then download and install the program. You will be designing these fun projects in minutes. Windows PC only.

T-Shirts and More.

Show your love for the hobby and support the Scrollsaw Workshop. Safe and secure order fullfilled by CafePress. Take a look. You are sure to find something you like. CLICK THE IMAGE to visit the store.

The Lifter

Papa's Custom Patterns.

Philip Lowndes Noah's Arc Pattern Available. Watch the video below.

This video is from Philip Lowndes. He is the designer of this beautiful Noah's Arc puzzle pattern. If you would like the pattern follow the link below.

Think Safety

Remember to keep the safety of yourself and others in your work shop in your thoughts at all times. Always wear eye and ear protection. Follow all the manufactures warnings that came with your power tools. If I demonstrate something on this web site that you don't feel is safe, don't do it. Your safety is your responsibility. Fingers are handy things, try to keep all of them.__________________________

Disclaimer:The Scrollsaw Workshop Blog is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts Magazine formerly (Scroll Saw Workshop Magazine) or it's publisher Fox Chapel Publishing.